[Thoracoscopic surgery for metastatic lung tumors: computed tomography-guided localization with use of a needle with...

When a metastatic lung tumor is found to be deep to the visceral surface of the pleura, or when it is found to be a small lesion, it may important to help identify the lesion by preoperative methods in order to localize it at the time of thoracoscopic operation. We performed computed tomography-guided localization of metastatic lung tumors with use of a needle with a suture in 11 cases prior to thoracoscopic resection. Placement of the needle, immediately before moving to the operation room were successfully performed in all patients. It took from 16 to 25 minutes (20.3 minutes on average). Complications included minimal pneumothorax in 8 patients, mild airway bleeding in 2, and penetration through the middle lobe to the lower lobe of the right lung in 1. However, treatment was not necessary in any of the patients. Thoracoscopic resections were successfully achieved in all patients. Our technique may be a simpler technique and advantageous for identification of small lesions and lesions deep to the visceral surface of the pleura during the thoracoscopic operation for metastatic lung tumors.